Democrats hit pause on Biden's climate, social spending package

[left-of-center2012]

Senate Democrats are putting President Biden’s climate and social spending plan on the back burner as they plan to debate voting rights legislation this month and hold a vote on changing the Senate's filibuster rule. Democratic aides say the Build Back Better bill won't be ready for floor action any time soon and predict the wide-ranging legislation that the White House has negotiated with centrist Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) may have to be completely overhauled.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) informed colleagues Monday the Senate will turn immediately to voting rights legislation and would vote to reform the chamber’s filibuster rule by Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on Jan. 17, if Senate Republicans block it.

“We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us. But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to protect the foundation of our democracy: free and fair elections,” Schumer wrote in his “Dear Colleague” letter.

Schumer made no mention of Build Back Better or when it might come to the floor, despite promising at the end of last year to schedule a vote on it before Christmas. Democratic aides warn that means Build Back Better probably won’t be ready to come to the floor until March or later. And whatever version of the bill comes up for a vote will be markedly different from the $1.75 trillion framework that Manchin resoundingly rejected during a “Fox News Sunday” interview on Dec. 19, aides say.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/588084-democrats-hit-pause-on-bidens-climate-social-spending-package

[Demsrule86]

1. That is a huge mistake.

Nothing they are doing will work.

[leftstreet]

2. sigh

we're gonna debate this thing that probably won't happen before we go back to working on that other thing that may or may not happen

[JustAnotherGen]

3. If that thing probably doesn't happen

Then even if they pass BBB -

Next January it will go away.

GOP intends to throw out the votes of blacks, latinos, and asians, the poor, the young -

That's if they LET us vote.

[wellst0nev0ter]

4. Let's hope the goops fuck up reeeally bad in the runup to the midterms

[uponit7771]

5. Hmmmmm, looks like DC Dems are starting to "... Look Up"?

[WHITT]

6. This Is No Different

than what Schumer laid out after Christmas. First, seeking some kind of carved-out modification of the filibuster for voting rights, then bringing the BBB to the floor over, and over, and over, and over again until a configuration passes, making certain people vote in public for or against.